Solomon Northup Day celebration, Saturday at Skidmore College

The life Solomon Northup, a 19th-century free-born black man and accomplished fiddle player who was lured from his home in Saratoga Springs with a promise of $3 for every performance only to be kidnapped into slavery, will be commemorated Saturday during the 15th annual Solomon Northup Day: A Celebration of Freedom.

More than 40 of Northup’s descendants are expected to gather at this year’s event, which takes place from noon to 4 p.m. at Skidmore College’s Filene Hall. The planned fete will be the biggest yet, in anticipation of the fall release of a major Hollywood film about Northup’s life based his bestselling memoir, “12 Years a Slave, which he penned shortly after he regained his freedom in January 1853.
“We have been honoring Northup’s life since 1999. There was an overriding need to inform the public of this man’s compelling life. As a native, I knew about Solomon Northup, but many who visit the area have no idea,” said Rene Moore, a Skidmore alumna and founder of the celebration.
This year’s celebration has received special attention due to the upcoming film, which takes its name from Northup’s book, directed by Steve McQueen. The screen adaptation features a star-studded cast — Chiwetel Ejiofor, Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Alfre Woodard, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, and Paul Giamatti — and will be in theaters Oct. 18.

Scenes from “12 Years A Slave” will be premiered on Saturday, accompanied by remarks from actress Lupita Nyong’o, who portrays Patsey in the film.Don Papson, founder of the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association and the North Star Underground Railroad Museum in Ausable Chasm, will present new research on Northup’s life and writing.
A representative of the Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region will speak on American history and the times in which Northup lived, and Tonya Hopkins, a culinary historian, will speak on the life of Solomon’s wife, Ann Hampton Northup, who worked as a professional cook and caterer. Local fiddlers Frank Orsini and Dan Hubbs are also set to perform.
Moore urges those in the area to attend.“This is a great opportunity to bridge the gap between past and present,” said Moore.